Tomorrow's Voice is Tempting
by Ectobootiologist
Summary: Matthew Williams only wants to feel important. But he already is important to a certain stranger.


Sterling eyes as firey as red garnet, bright silver hair curved around pale skin. I often found myself gazing into his eyes, without him knowing of course. I didn't know what is was, but something drew me to him like a fly to Maple syrup.

Every day at a local café, I sat at the second booth from the window and watched him as he waited on customers. He didn't seem like the type to work at a café, yet here he was, a sharp smile and burning enthusiasm. He never came to my table, it was either another waitress or no one at all. Why did he never wait on my table? Oh, that's right…

I guess you could say that people don't really notice that I'm around. I don't talk much to other people, and when I do, I often get ignored. I don't really mind much since it's not really much of a problem, only this time I really wanted to be noticed. Which seemed stupid, this was just another person that would never know I existed. And yet I still came.

I sighed, and blew a stray hair out of my face as I watched the people of the city walk by for what seemed like hours. They always had to go somewhere important, some place where they were important to someone. I looked down at my coffee, slowly stirring in the creamer as I rested my head on my hand. I wish I was known to someone.

Drowning out sounds was easy, since you don't have to listen for anyone to call out your name. Though I guess I can't say that's entirely true. There is one person that talks to me. My younger brother Alfred, though he gets me in trouble more than he's actually worth. We're nearly twins, the only differentiating factors being our eye color and length of hair. That doesn't seem to stop anyone from confusing us, though.

Alfred doesn't really have time to talk to me either, though we played together a lot when we were kids. He's busy trying to play hero and impress all of his friends that he's actually worth hanging on to. I'm a little envious of him, I wish I had the confidence to prove that I'm worth holding on to. But, am I really? What good am I in a friend?

"Hey! I'm talking to you!" Huh? Immediately I was interrupted from my thoughts, and whisked my head towards where the voice was coming from. As soon as a laid eyes on the person in question, my eyes widened and I nearly spilled my coffee all over myself, fumbling over words that made no sense. I straightened my glasses, but my nervousness didn't subside.

"U-Um…" The silver haired man had actually come over here the first time during the entire month, I couldn't believe my eyes. He gave me a piercing stare, one of slight annoyance and impatience.

"I said, do you need anything else, sir?" I didn't get it. Why now of all times was he talking to me? Did he really notice I was here? I had a lot of questions that were most likely going to go unanswered. I forced a small smile to show I wasn't displeased with his service, but I wasn't exactly calm either. "You come in here every day but you never order anything. What's up with that?"

"You…Noticed I've come here every day?" I was completely shocked. This man that I've seen every day, I've never even seen him GLANCE in my direction.

"Yeah, you sit by yourself like you've got nowhere better to be." I just stayed silent. After all, he was pretty much on the dot there. "Oh, sorry." He figured that out fast.

"That's okay, I was getting used to sitting alone here. Don't get me wrong, I find it comforting to sit here alone." Somehow, the man didn't seem convinced. Well I thought I was pretty convincing.

"I thought that too. That being alone was awesome and that I didn't need people around to be happy." He paused, and shook his head as if he was trying to shake away a bad memory. "Anyway, don't listen to me I just ramble. How about some company? I get off my shift in like 10 minutes. Can ya wait that long? By the way, the names' Gilbert."

I just stared at him like I couldn't comprehend what he was saying. But then again, I really couldn't. First he noticed I existed, second he wants to actually talk to me. "S-Sure…", I nearly whispered as I pushed that same stray hair out of my face. Gilbert just smirked and walked away, fulfilling the rest of the orders he had.

Sure enough, 10 minutes later he comes waltzing back and slams into the seat in front of me. "So what's your name there, blondie?" Blondie?...That's a little…emblematic.

"Matthew…Matthew Williams."

"Matthew, eh? A commonplace but nice sounding name." Gilbert pointed towards me whilst clutching what looked like to be a can of Heineken. "So, Matthew, tell me why you come here every day." That was one question I didn't want to answer. Because I couldn't tell him without lying. What am I supposed to say, that I come here every day to gaze into your eyes?

"I come here because…I don't really have anywhere else to go, I guess." Well that wasn't really lying, but a vague answer probably wouldn't satisfy his question.

"Come on, you gotta gimmie a little more than that. Do ya come here to see a certain somebody?", he pestered while leaning forward, winking. HOW DID HE KNOW? DOES HE KNOW THAT IT'S HIM?

"W-Why do you think that…" I nearly jumped out of my seated when he asked that question, and now my voice was shaky. Of course he's only going to assume that's the case.

"Usually when someone visits a café every day alone, they go to either think about someone or see that someone. Which is it?" This is it. This is how I'm going to die.

"I don't really have friends, so neither…" Okay, that was partially a lie. I don't have friends, but I still came to see Gilbert every day, and I only learned of his named a few minutes ago. "No one cares enough to go looking for me."

"Ah, I see. You're that type of person. Listen here Mattie. No one's ever gonna notice you exist if you don't put your fist to the punch. In other words, ya gotta strike up a conversation and don't let it end no matter how dead it seems. Though, that's not always the case. I noticed you coming every day and you never spoke a word."

"Why is that? How did you even know I was here?"

"It was your eyes. I could never forget those big lavender eyes you got there. They're not as awesome as mine, but still pretty awesome." I managed a soft chuckle, he actually thought my eyes were cool just as I did his. I thought about what he said. Strike up a conversation and don't let it end. That's what was happening now, wasn't it?

"Gilbert, if I come back tomorrow will you talk to me?"

"Of course, my freund. I'll even treat you to one of my favorite meals on the menu!"

Is this what it feels like…To be noticed?


End file.
